The Upper Denkyira East Municipal Police Commander, Supt. Dela Dzensi, has stated that the fight against galamsey is a very difficult task because illegal miners continue to raid the mining areas after arrests have been made in those communities.
He said: “It’s been a very difficult task for both the task force and the police because as soon as you leave the place, a group of them will go back there again. I will suggest that government comes out with forces that will also augment the stress of the task force so that together we can fight the menace”.
In the early part of this year, the National Taskforce of the Small-scale Miners Association, which is mostly from all the mining areas, came together in collaboration with the police and mounted an operation on the Offin river. Eleven young men were arrested during the operation.
The suspects were picked up at different times and have been taken to the Cape Coast for prosecution
Speaking to the media, Commander of Small Scale Miners Taskforce, Kwesi Andoh, lauded the government and police for their immense support in the galamsey fight. He however lamented that the unavailability of good vehicles to chase away the small-scale miners remains a challenge for the taskforce. He therefore pleaded that government supports them with about four or five vehicles to effectively eradicate galamsey.
The Ghana National Association of Small-scale miners also appealed to government to ensure stiffer punishments is meted out to galamseyers to deter them from continuing the menace.
Last year, a media-led campaign to put an end to illegal small-scale mining, #StopGalamseyNow, was taken up by the government which initiated some measures to deal with the menace. This included a 6-month ban on small-scale mining and a temporary halt on the issuance of new mining licenses in order to allow the river bodies degraded by the activities of illegal miners to recover.
President Akufo-Addo has since then reassured Ghanaians of his government’s commitment to fearlessly fight galamsey in the country.
